Comber cushion plate



Aug. 13, 1957 JQS. DUDLEY COMBER CUSHION PLATE Filed April 4, 1956 Army/1 5w" United States Patent 1 2,802,241 COMBER CUSHION PLATE John S. Dudley, Douglas, Mass, assignor to Whitin Machine Works, Whitinsville, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Application April 4, 1956, Serial No. 575.984 Claims. (Cl. 19-125)) This invention relates to Heilmann type combers.

In the development of such combers, constant effort has been directed to improving the quality of the combed sliver by reducing the number of neps remaining in it.

The present invention relates to such an improvement and stems from the discovery that more neps can be re moved than heretofore when the fringe is made to enter the needles of the top comb before it reaches the nip of the detaching rolls. This is in contrast to the usual arrangement in which the fringe engages the lower detaching roll somewhat below the nip line and only after it has moved up into the nip are the fibers pulled into the needles of the top comb.

As presently described, the invention makes use of a spring plate adapted to move bodily with the cushion plate and so arranged as to raise the fringe into the needles of the top comb.

The preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a transverse, vertical section of a portion of a comber showing the invention applied and with the nippers in closed position;

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. l but with the nippers open;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the spring plate; and

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the cushion plate.

The reference 1 indicates the usual oscillating wag shaft by which the nippers are advanced toward and rctracted from the detaching rolls 2 above the needles 3 of comb cylinder 4. The upper nipper, or nipper knife, is marked 5 and the lower nipper, or cushion plate, is marked 6. At 7 is indicated the top comb plate which carries the needles 8. The reference 9 indicates generally the nipper frame.

According to the present invention a spring plate 10 is mounted on top of the cushion plate for bodily movement with it. As shown, this plate may be substantially coextensive with the cushion plate and clamped to it by the bolts 11 which secure the cushion plate to the nipper frame. Corresponding bolt holes for this purpose are indicated at 12 (in the spring plate) and at 13 (in the cushion plate).

The forward end of the cushion plate is customarily thinner than the rear end, the top surface of the plate being flat toward the rear and sloping downwardly toward the forward end; and the spring plate of this invention is supported so that its forward end normally (that is, when not otherwise influenced) is disposed above and spaced from the forward slope of the top surface of the cushion plate (as in Fig. 2).

The spring plate extends forward at least to the forward edge of the cushion plate and preferably has a depending lip 14, the length of the spring plate in this instance being such that when its forward end is depressed or flexed downwardly the lip overlaps or substantially shrouds the forward end of the cushion plate (as in Fig. 1).

As the nipper knife descends it engages the forward end slaqg sq; (I '85) 1t sossordop pue am d Bu lds oq go being held by the knife against the lip of the plate instead of, as customarily, against the tip of the cushion plate itself. But, as the fringe is advanced and the knife rises, the flexed spring plate also moves upwardly, away from the cushion plate, and lifts the fringe toward the needles 8 and into position to enter the roll nip sooner than if allowed to droop toward a lower point of contact with the lower detaching roll. In the result, the rolls grasp the fringe sooner and the needles 8 sooner commence to comb the sliver.

In the preferred embodiment illustrated the top surface of the cushion plate is not bevelled at its forward end, as is customary, but is curved, the flat rear surface 15 (Fig. 4) merging into the forward, downward curve 16. With the cushion plate so formed, the spring plate is flexed less abruptly by the nipper knife and the life of the spring plate thereby greatly increased.

It will be understood that the foregoing description of the preferred embodiment is intended only to exemplify the principles of the invention and in the light of such description the following is claimed:

1. In a Heiimann type comber including a nipper knife, the combination of a cushion plate having a flat upper surface portion merging toward the forward end of the plate, into a downwardly curved surface, a spring plate secured to the said fiat surface of the cushion plate and extending at least to the forward end of such plate, the forward end of the spring plate normally spaced above the said curved surface and adapted to be depressed toward it by the nipper knife, the spring plate having a depending lip adapted to overlap the forward end of the cushion plate when the spring plate is depressed by the nipper knife.

2. In a Heilmann type comber including a nipper knife, the combination of a cushion plate having a curved upper surface downwardly inclined at its forward end and a spring plate mounted on the cushion plate for bodily movement therewith, the forward end of the spring plate being normally disposed above and spaced from the forward end of the cushion plate and adapted to be depressed toward such plate by the nipper knife.

3. In a Heilmann type comber including a nipper knife and a cushion plate having its upper surface downwardly inclined at its forward end, the improvement which comprise a spring plate mounted on the upper surface of the cushion plate for bodily movement therewith, the forward end of the spring plate normally disposed above and spaced from the said downwardly inclined surface and adapted to be depressed and flexed downwardly toward such surface by the nipper knife, the spring plate extending at least to the forward end of the cushion plate and having a depending lip at its forward end adapted to overlap the forward end of the cushion plate when the spring plate is depressed by the nipper knife.

4. In a Heilmann type comber including a nipper knife and a cushion plate having its upper surface downwardly inclined at its forward end, the improvement which comprises a spring plate mounted on the upper surface of the cushion plate for bodily movement therewith, the forward end of the spring plate normally disposed above and spaced from the said downwardly inclined surface and adapted to be depressed and flexed downwardly toward such surface by the nipper knife.

5. In a Heilmann type comber including a nipper knife and a cushion plate, the improvement which comprises a spring plate mounted on the upper surface of the cushion plate for bodily movement therewith, the forward end of the spring plate normally disposed above and spaced from the forward end of the cushion plate and adapted to be depressed and flexed downwardly toward it by the nipper knife.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 620,747 Delette Mar. 7, I899 FOREIGN PATENTS 392,644 Germany Mar. 28, 1924 

